Never a man to rest on his laurels or approach anything in a manner even remotely resembling half-assed, Kanye decided to bring in music video director and photographer Chris Milk for a truly groundbreaking photoshoot for Complex’s April/May issue.

In the cover story, Complex EIC Noah Callahan-Bever picks Kanye’s brain about public perception, insecurity (or his lack thereof) and why Taz’s tights don’t define him as a man.

What does the brand Kanye West mean?
Kanye West: Pop but Luxury. Edgy but Comfortable. I’m about clashing worlds that you think don’t belong together. This is our world and everything belongs together. That’s the ill thing about our president. Our president is black, but our president is white, too. And the original struggle of America is racism, and to have someone in office that represents both of those sides is what I think this world is about. Segregation and snobbery and elitism should be the wack words. That should be what people use to dis people.

Read the full cover story here. After the jump, check out an extensive video rundown of the shoot and the technology used to create the images.

And finally, Complex sat down with Kanye and Mark Smith, Creative Director of Special Projects at Nike, for a in-depth breakdown of the birth of the Air Yeezy. They also have a shit load of exclusive pics, including never before seen prototype shots such as the one below.

Kanye West: I grabbed all these Jordans from their archives, and I’m sitting in the office next to Tinker [Hatfield, Jordan designer] and Mark, just pulling out shit and putting it in front of him like, “I like this element.” We just vibed it out.

i’m buying the yeezys in every color i can get without camping in front of niketown. these shits is like fusions on steroids. they’re what fusions should have been. the ultimate ode to jordans. yes i know this is some serious stannery but i’m saying, these shits is amaaaaaaaazing

with the dream…t-pain….have a song wit neyo for the ladies…
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That Ne-Yo formula is broken. T-Pain…meh. The-Dream is the new Def Jam go to collabo artist. Expect the Juelz/Dream collabo later this year.

Juelz can get some of his shine back, but he’ll never be back where he was @ the hieght of “What The Games Been Missing”. He’s done too much bitchass shit to be considered a boss. Let him make Un Kasa rich 1st…then we’ll talk.

Ya’ll know the price of single dutches are jumping to 2.15$ april 1st if there aren’t already that much depending on where you live
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Hell naw. That’s extortion. $1.25 is enough as it is.

^^
Chinese “wive’s tale” supposes that dropping your load in from the back as deep as possible while stroking rigorously (no slow stroke) garuntees a son. Some wannabe mystic nigga I went to college with was into Asian culture. I always thought that was funny/interesting.

^^
Chinese “wive’s tale” supposes that dropping your load in from the back as deep as possible while stroking rigorously (no slow stroke) garuntees a son. Some wannabe mystic nigga I went to college with was into Asian culture. I always thought that was funny/interesting.

But we all know ninjas is gonna complain all the way to the store, kick out that extra 90 cent, complain all the way back home & complain while smoking about the price of dutches
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I bitch in between pulls lol.

Chinese “wive’s tale” supposes that dropping your load in from the back as deep as possible while stroking rigorously (no slow stroke) garuntees a son. Some wannabe mystic nigga I went to college with was into Asian culture. I always thought that was funny/interesting.
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And here I though hitting the bottom of the pussy just made a chick cum mad hard.

and if i gotta pay 2 and change for a dutch, ima started smoking in zig zags
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Only time I smoke joints is when a white kid passes me one. Other then that, it’s strictly Vanilla Dutch’s.

I discovered and adopted this group over the weekend, they are called Pink Dollars..I love these lil chicks they remind me of some Real Roxanne Shante type shit..just having fun with the music on some female braggadoccio shit.

I actually contacted them to do some free promo work for em..I like their style that much.

SIDEBAR: I really don’t expect any of you hardcore gangsta niggas that be on here listening to Wale, CH and Asher Roth to dig this..this is mostly for the chicks that lurk here..and for niggas who love to hear chicks spit.

I discovered and adopted this group over the weekend, they are called Pink Dollars..I love these lil chicks they remind me of some Real Roxanne Shante type shit..just having fun with the music on some female braggadoccio shit.

I actually contacted them to do some free promo work for em..I like their style that much.

SIDEBAR: I really don’t expect any of you hardcore gangsta niggas that be on here listening to Wale, CH and Asher Roth to dig this..this is mostly for the chicks that lurk here..and for niggas who love to hear chicks spit.

an iPhone joint? I should have something by later tonight. not necessarily an app, but it’ll make the site play nicely with the iPhone.

>I’m calling bullshit. You’ve said this same statement before. You fucking’ slacker. lol. And don’t do something gay like: not allow the ipod function to work in the background. Many apps have failed on that account alone.

If there’s one thing I regret, is that I haven’t dated nearly enough sluts. I’m usually drawn to the “nice girl” type & that’s cool. But once in a while you just wanna mess with a chick that’s down for whatever. Gotta start broadening my whorizons.

NR is cool..its just that when you come on NR expect to see posts about the same 5 rappers all day thas all..no variety here..no variety in music right nah at all anyway..we have these new cookie cutter rapper geeks and then you have all the old heads that wanna see Jayz and Nas do a show at the MGM Grand so they can dress up in tuxedos and go act like they rich and grown up.

The old heads don’t accept the young heads..cause they old..think back to 15-20 years ago..when your pops/uncle/aunt/ told you that Naughty by Nature wasnt as good as RUNDMC…no matter how true or not..you wasnt trynna hear it..well now YOU are your pops/uncle/aunt…hating on the youth.

The music suffers, the old heads have the money but no ear for what the kids want..The kids have the talent but no money(way) to market themselves.

>>The old heads don’t accept the young heads..cause they old..think back to 15-20 years ago..when your pops/uncle/aunt/ told you that Naughty by Nature wasnt as good as RUNDMC…no matter how true or not..you wasnt trynna hear it..well now YOU are your pops/uncle/aunt…hating on the youth.

so which is it? you just said it’s all “new cookie cutter rapper geeks” then in the next paragraph you say it’s all old heads who don’t accept the new generation. get your fuckin stories straight. and if you’re so fucking smart, then who’s an artist you think should be getting coverage here who isn’t?

“It’s Mocha and I’m back again/
got that bomb ass pussy cum drippin from from ya chin
slurp that shit back up
then spit it on my butt”
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C’mon fam. Enough. No one gives a fuck about them bitches you talking about. Fuck are you, their publicist?

so which is it? you just said it’s all “new cookie cutter rapper geeks” then in the next paragraph you say it’s all old heads who don’t accept the new generation. get your fuckin stories straight. and if you’re so fucking smart, then who’s an artist you think should be getting coverage here who isn’t?

^^There are many new artists out but they dont have a “buzz” so blogs like yours really dont let them shine..I’ve seen you “make” a few rappers careers tho,like CH(he’s wack tho) I think you’re taking this shit personal though.

The music itself is at a crossroads..what do you say about a genre of music whose biggest artist is a “rock star”? ..rappers carrying guitars? Hip hop music itself as an artform is dying..hence the feeling of “death” on all hip hop blogs in general

>>The old heads don’t accept the young heads..cause they old..think back to 15-20 years ago..when your pops/uncle/aunt/ told you that Naughty by Nature wasnt as good as RUNDMC…no matter how true or not..you wasnt trynna hear it..well now YOU are your pops/uncle/aunt…hating on the youth.

^ ^
But the music coming from the new generation now is greatly inferior to the material of the previous one by leaps and bounds.

People of the 90’s comparing material to the 80’s is absolutely not the same as comparing the 90’s to the new millennium.

im not feeling B.o.B and his direction now or Wayne’s rebirth shit, but sadly the hip hop well all love is not the hip hop that sells, and therefore niggas gotta do somethign ‘different’ in order to shine.

>>There are many new artists out but they dont have a “buzz” so blogs like yours really dont let them shine..

like fucking who? don’t just say that, name fucking names.

>>I’ve seen you “make” a few rappers careers tho,like CH(he’s wack tho) I think you’re taking this shit personal though.

of course I’m taking it personal, this is my motherfucking website. And so what you think C.Hamilton is wack, there’s plenty of people who don’t. I know I just watched him rock a club full of people in Austin and the crowd was loving it. but yeah, since you don’t like him, I’ll stop posting his shit. GTFOH.

>>The old heads don’t accept the young heads..cause they old..think back to 15-20 years ago..when your pops/uncle/aunt/ told you that Naughty by Nature wasnt as good as RUNDMC…no matter how true or not..you wasnt trynna hear it..well now YOU are your pops/uncle/aunt…hating on the youth.

^ ^
But the music coming from the new generation now is greatly inferior to the material of the previous one by leaps and bounds.

People of the 90’s comparing material to the 80’s is absolutely not the same as comparing the 90’s to the new millennium.

^^

Inferior how? people in the 70’s think 90’s music is wack. It’s a never ending cycle. In 15 years people will be saying how wack music is now compared to the soulja boy and lil wayne days. It’s a generation thing.

Hip HOp started dying when it chose to become what it wasnt..hip hop was created because the youth could’nt sing, could’nt play instruments, werent accepted by mainstream.

A music about non conformity now prides itself on conforming. True the artform is now bigger in stature but it’s severely lackin in substance. I heard some niggas the other day remixin OPP.
_______________________________________

Inferior how? people in the 70’s think 90’s music is wack. It’s a never ending cycle. In 15 years people will be saying how wack music is now compared to the soulja boy and lil wayne days. It’s a generation thing.

^^^Exactly I think the old heads here make the mistake of comparing todays music to our “nas, krs, llcoolj etc” when in actuality they should be comparing them to the previous generation , guys like “busy bee, grandmasterflash, etc” them dudes wore tight clothes and made party (dance) records.

I think the old heads here make the mistake of comparing todays music to our “nas, krs, llcoolj etc” when in actuality they should be comparing them to the previous generation , guys like “busy bee, grandmasterflash, etc” them dudes wore tight clothes and made party (dance) records.
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You’re so off base, it ain’t even funny. I’m done. I refuse to indulge you in this bullshit convo.

I think the old heads here make the mistake of comparing todays music to our “nas, krs, llcoolj etc” when in actuality they should be comparing them to the previous generation , guys like “busy bee, grandmasterflash, etc” them dudes wore tight clothes and made party (dance) records.
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You’re so off base, it ain’t even funny. I’m done. I refuse to indulge you in this bullshit convo.

March 23rd, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Who had the curve and storm which one is better?

I got the curve think but copping the bold

^
got an iphone but dad has the storm, its a nice looking phone but has no wifi ( i understand that may not be important to some) and the touchscreen is horrendous imo, mum has the curve and its much better to type with, which is afterall, the most important thing on a blackberry.

you sound like the old-head to me. because I’m 31 and I can appreciate the Kid Cudi’s and Charles Hamiltons, etc. for what they bring to the table. you’re the one who’s crying that the music has gone “left” and doesn’t sound like what YOU think Hip-Hop should sound like. because somebody like Hamilton is doing anything but conforming to what the general idea of what hip-hop should be.

at the end of the day, these artists are making music that the younger generation are fucking with. ya’ll niggas act like bloggers and magazines are pushing these artists on the public and forcing them to like them, as if that’s possible. remember all of the coverage Benzino used to give himself in the Source? and niggas still didn’t fuck with him. why? because he was wack.

I post shit I personally fuck with on some level, bt I also respond to what I see happening in the industry. what fucking good would it do me to post a bunch of shit people don’t like? just because the majority of commenters on Nah don’t fuck with Mickey Factz doesn’t mean nobody does. I’ve had people come up to me and personally thank me for putting them onto him and countless other rappers that get aired out on here on the regular. so it’s whatever. the world is bigger than your fucking laptop screen and this comment box.

When Ballys first dropped..your pops dissed them too…look at ya bloodline, you come from a long line of haters…your family only love shit when the rest of the world co signs
____________________

So Yums are hot? I thought twice about engaging your simple ass, but you have no idea about shit. Fuck you talking about long line of haters, you come on here make a moronic statement just for the attention hoping someone acknowledges ya bum ass. Go cop some Yums along with whatever else fruity shit your into.

ya’ll niggas act like bloggers and magazines are pushing these artists on the public and forcing them to like them, as if that’s possible. remember all of the coverage Benzino used to give himself in the Source? and niggas still didn’t fuck with him. why? because he was wack.

I was thinkin? did he just pick random names or did these guys really shit on him. He was askin about Nah niggas & I’m yellin & reppin LOL. Then he asks if ya’ll were there… its quiet. cuz you weren’t. Then he says something like “are any other Nahright commentors here that shit on me” I stay quiet cuz I like his music & I don’t really diss him. I’m standing next to YN yellin “not everyone disses you”. He says something else that I forgot. Then defends his fedora & Kills his set.

after the performance I tell him “not everyone on Nah hates him.” He laughs, we dap, he leaves.

He mentions it in his blog here.

charleshamilton.blogspot.com/

on the sat. post at the end

“I told the crowd at yesterday’s Nah Right show how I feel about them. After I put the Nah Right stupid commentors in they place. I told them simply (because I just finished doing “Shinin”) “I feel really alive right now, while performing a song that was at one point a suicide letter. So when I tell yall that I love yall, I mean it.”

I post shit I personally fuck with on some level, bt I also respond to what I see happening in the industry. what fucking good would it do me to post a bunch of shit people don’t like? just because the majority of commenters on Nah don’t fuck with Mickey Factz doesn’t mean nobody does. I’ve had people come up to me and personally thank me for putting me onto him and countless other rappers that get aired out on here on the regular. so it’s whatever. the world is bigger than your fucking laptop screen and this comment box.

^^You speaking thru your emotions now..if you think hip hop music is in a “healthy space” then we’ll just agree to disagree. If you think the music as an industry sucks right now then we can continue this discussion.

This nigga just had to fly to Austin Texas to see a good show and you think the music itself is in a “healthy” place? If you do then I’ll be wrong this time….adn you from NY.

The industry ( marketing, shows, concerts,) etc is dead..the music as an artform( lyrics, production etc) is laying on its deathbed.

March 23rd, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Dana Dane had a whole song about some chick named Dr Slumber and haviing nightmares..Solja boy had a whole song about kissin thru the phone..if you don’t see the similarities..I can’t help u bro.
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Alright. Now I’m convinced you’re a fucking peon.

>>You speaking thru your emotions now..if you think hip hop music is in a “healthy space” then we’ll just agree to disagree. If you think the music as an industry sucks right now then we can continue this discussion.

Hip-hop is straight man, the fuck you talking about? there’s more independent artists thriving right now than any time since the mid-90’s. but because you don’t fuck with them, you’re ready to write a eulogy.

>>This nigga just had to fly to Austin Texas to see a good show and you think the music itself is in a “healthy” place? If you do then I’ll be wrong this time….adn you from NY.

what are you even talking about dog? SXSW is the biggest indie music festival in the country and it happens to be in Austin. Nobody HAD to fly there to see a dope show, I’ve seen plenty of dope shows in New York and elsewhere. you’re seriously a fucking moron dog, don’t talk to me anymore.

[…] folks at Sway Studio’s, the firm that helped create the digitally enhanced Kanye West Complex cover, put together this short clip about how they did it. Hit the jump for a bonus clip of a digitally […]

[…] folks at Sway Studio’s, the firm that helped create the digitally enhanced Kanye West Complex cover, put together this short clip about how they did it. Hit the jump for a bonus clip of a digitally […]